This invention relates to wind turbines, and more particularly to a frictionless wind turbine using turbine blades to rotate at any wind condition and using magnetic levitation bearings to produce a magnetic repulsive force for friction-free rotation of magnet segments to generate electrical energy.
Wind turbines are rotary devices that generate energy from the wind. Coupling a wind turbine to a generator or alternator provides a renewable source of electricity that does not require fossil fuels or excrete carbon byproducts. Most wind turbines are supported by one or more bearing assemblies. These assemblies hold a wind turbine in place and allow its rotation while attempting to minimize operational friction of the wind turbine. Nevertheless, friction in a wind turbine remains a significant problem. Operational friction of a wind turbine can limit the useful force available for power generation and typically leads to reduced reliability and high maintenance costs. This renders the wind turbine at least somewhat ineffective for durable, uninterrupted power generation.
U.S. Pat. Application No. 20100213723 by Kazadi (Aug. 26, 2010) provides a novel wind turbine configuration that utilizes a permanent magnetic male and female levitation support for magnetic levitation. This wind turbine has a female part attached to a payload that is magnetically levitated above a male part of the levitation support. The female part and the payload are further operatively attached to a vertical axle structure that is held stationary by a point of contact. The point of contact and the vertical axle structure provide a stable axis of rotation for the payload and the female part, which can be rotated with near-zero friction. However, the components of the wind turbine contact each other during use, which subjects the above detailed invention to excessive wear and tear.
Moreover, U.S. Pat. Application No. 20090322095 by Mazur (Dec. 31, 2009) discloses a wind turbine having one or more sets of opposing magnets to create an opposing force between a turbine support and a turbine rotor great enough to form a space between the turbine support and turbine rotor, thereby reducing friction between the turbine support and the turbine rotor. The reduction of friction between the turbine rotor and the turbine support allows for an increase in energy production and scale of the wind turbines. However, the wind turbine does not produce energy at lower wind speeds, occupies a lot of space, and requires high maintenance costs.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,303,369 issued to Rowan (Dec. 4, 2007) provides a lift and drag-based vertical axis wind turbine in which the vertical axis and foils mounted thereon are magnetically levitated above the turbine's base, thereby reducing friction within the system. The foils or vanes are three-dimensionally shaped about the vertical axis and capture wind through 360 degrees of rotation under any wind condition. The system has an axial flux alternator using variable resistance coils that can be individually and selectively turned on or off, depending on wind conditions and electrical draw requirements. However, the vertical axis wind turbine is a large-scale installation that cannot be used for commercial purposes when the wind is not blowing. Moreover, the operating cost of the wind turbine is relatively high.
Therefore, there is a need for a frictionless wind turbine utilizing a plurality of turbine blades that can rotate in almost any wind condition. Such a frictionless wind turbine would eliminate contact between components, thereby reducing wear and tear, and the resultant downtime and maintenance costs. Further, this wind turbine would be used as a small-scale device and connect to high-capacity battery storage devices for power on demand. Finally, this wind turbine would operate more efficiently and effectively by producing electrical energy with a minimal amount of wind. The present invention accomplishes all these objectives.